Snapshots
by The Shadows of My Mind
Summary: No one said being in a relationship with Kirk was going to be easy, but McCoy has always enjoyed a little challenge before his victories. One-hundred moments, starting at an introduction and ending with vows, between James T. Kirk and Leonard "Bones" McCoy. Some chapters may include more mature subject mater, significant warnings will be given at the beginning of these chapters.
1. Love

_A/N: I do believe that a quick explanation is in need for this series. This is the 100 prompt challenge, something I felt would be a good idea to do as my return. However, this series isn't going to be a weekly or bi-weekly thing, but rather something along the lines of "I'll post when I have an idea for it" kind of thing. Each prompt will take up one chapter, and some will be very short, while some may be longer. Also, some of the prompts will be linked together, and those that are should be fairly obvious. So, as I've nothing left to say...Let's begin._

* * *

There was very little Leonard McCoy loved from his old life. He still loved his drinks, and quiet afternoons spent doing nothing. But these were only things, because Leonard had no room for human love anymore, apart from his daughter, though he only saw her at most three times a year. Joanna was the only thing that made him happy when he thought about his past, but the thoughts that came with it were less than pleasant.

Jocelyn had been her name. Leonard thought he had loved her, and she thought she had loved him. At the beginning it had been perfect, almost a fairy tale relationship. There were no fights, no anger, nothing at all that would have hinted at the fact that everything was about to fall apart. It had started with Leonard's drinking. Work had been getting stressful, and the doctor had needed something to calm his nerves. He'd had a drink with dinner, maybe one when he first got home. Leonard knew that Jocelyn wasn't a fan of his drinking, but she was putting up with it for his sake.

Then it moved onto the lack of communication. With Leonard working almost all of the time, and Jocelyn taking a new teaching position, the two almost never saw each other. They'd kiss briefly in the morning, and then rush off to their respective jobs. Come night, both of them were simply exhausted and would collapse into bed without so much as an _"I love you"_.

Joanna's birth had been a saving grace, at least for a few years. It brought both mother and father together again, reminding each of them why they had fallen in love in the first place. Leonard stopped drinking to be a better father to Joanna, and both he and Jocelyn had taken shorter hours to spend more time together as a family. Joanna had brought them together again, but it wouldn't last forever.

Years went by and as Joanna got older, Leonard and Jocelyn had begun to spread apart again. The drinking returned, followed by the lack of communication. Just before Joanna turned seven, Jocelyn pulled Leonard aside to speak with him in the first time in months. She stared talking, but Leonard only heard one thing.

"_I don't love you anymore. I think you should go._" The words echoed around his mind as Jocelyn looked at him expectantly. He nodded dumbly, walking through the house up to their shared room. Joanna was on dancing around him as he packed, asking where he was going and why mommy wasn't going with him. Leonard could only shake his head and sling his small duffle over his shoulder, leaning down to kiss his daughter on the forehead before walking from the house. Months later and the papers were signed. Everything, including Joanna, belonged to Jocelyn. Leonard was out on his own, with nothing but the clothing on his back and his duffle. That was when he decided that he didn't need anyone else's love, that he was perfectly fine on his own.

However, that was all before he met Kirk. Wonderful, horrible, captain of being a pain in the ass James Tiberius Kirk.

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_A/N: I suppose that'll do for an opening chapter. Not the best work, but love is a rather difficult thing to start off with. Everything else should be much smoother than this (hopefully). Another thing I should mention is that this is going to be ever so slightly AU. Nothing major, but just small little plot changes and backstory tweaks. I`m going to do my best to keep faithful, but there may be some changes so please just...bare with me. The next chapter should hopefully be out within the next week or so...Keyword being hopefully._


	2. Truth Be Told

The first time Leonard had met Kirk was on the shuttle to the Academy. Even in his slightly intoxicated state, the doctor had been able to tell that the younger man was a ball of trouble. Just the way he looked at the women on the craft, his charming smile and easy going attitude. Leonard completely hated him the first time he laid eyes on the man.

On the other hand, Kirk thought that the drunk man sitting next to him was rather amusing...Despite the whole "not good with flying and space" thing. Why had he signed up for the Academy if he was scared of space? Then again, it wasn't Kirk's position to be asking these sorts of things, especially when the two had just met.

As soon as they had landed, both of the two men had gone their different ways. Leonard would occasionally see Kirk sprinting down the halls, laughing and jeering over his shoulder at a group of men who were, presumably, the boyfriends of whatever girls Kirk had thought it wise to seduce. Leonard would always step out of the way, watching with a slightly amused smirk as the blond raced by him, vanishing around a corner to the sound of curses and threats.

One day, Leonard was laying face down in bed, a neglected PADD laying on next to him. There was a sudden hammering on his door, panicked shouting on the other side as someone tried to wiggle the locked door open. Frowning in confusion, Leonard pushed himself to his feet and crossed the empty dorm, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Yes?" He grumbled as he opened the door, squinting against the light of the halls. He barely had time to register who was standing in front of him before the figure pushed their way into the room, trying to shut the door behind them.

"Close the door! Close it!" A familiar voice demanded. Leonard frowned, obeying without question.

"What the hell are you doing in my room kid?" He growled once his eyes adjusted once more to the dark and he realized exactly who was standing in front of him. James T. Kirk was standing in front of him, and with no shirt to boot.

"Hiding." Kirk replied matter-of-factly, folding his arms over his chest and grinning slyly. Leonard rolled his eyes and walked back to his bed, scooping up the PADD and turning it off.

"Well hide somewhere else."

"Are you kidding? They'll tear me to pieces!"

"Well then maybe you'll learn not to mess with their girls." Kirk scoffed and crossed the room, plonking down next to Leonard and stretching out on the bed with a content hum. "What the hell kid? Get out!"

"Let me stay here! Please Bones?" Leonard blinked, slightly taken aback by the name.

"Bones?" He frowned, quickly forgetting about what they had just been speaking about. Kirk smirked triumphantly and nodded.

"Yeah, Bones. Ya know 'All I got left is my bones'?" The younger man smirked, curling up and making himself at home. Leonard just stared dumbly down at him, unable to form a complete sentence.

Truth be told, the first time he had really talked to Kirk, Leonard had decided that he simply hated the charming young man, but couldn't think of a reason to get rid of him.

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_A/N: Sorry if this chapter is a little rough. Wrote it in history class and well...I still don't have a beta reader to fix my awful mistakes. I'm kind of happy with the way this one turned out, considering I really had no idea what the hell I was writing. I'm sorry if it is a little AU, but I did point that out in the first chapter that some things would be slightly AU because I don't know too much about the Star Trek back stories, but I know enough to get by. I don't think that the next chapters are going to be linked to these ones, but then again they may be...I haven't decided yet._


	3. Wait, What?

Kirk had made a habit of using Leonard's room as safe house, ducking in every few days to hide out. Leonard didn't pay any attention to the boy, only moving to open the door before returning to his studies or nap. Kirk would make himself at home, lounging on the floor or wandering around, pawing through Leonard's things. The doctor would easily ignore him, having pointed out that if the younger man made any sort of noise that was even slightly annoying; he would toss him out into the hall and leave him to the anger of whoever Kirk had pissed off that time. After only having to enforce this rule once, Leonard hadn't had any real trouble from Kirk. Apart from the one time the young man showed up in the middle of the night, drunk off his ass and rambling on about how it _"wasn't his fault she had been wearing such a low cut top". _Leonard had responded by locking Kirk in the washroom and letting the drunken man calm down and shut up before sending him on his way.

Leonard lay on his back in bed, the covers thrown off his chest and draped over his waist. His shirt had long since been discarded in favor of the cool air in his dorm. He had gotten into bed a couple hours before, but had been completely unable to sleep. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, ranging from the tests he had coming up in the next few days, to the day he found out he lost the custody battle for Joanna. Before Leonard had the chance to roll over and start sulking, there was a soft and almost hesitant knock at his door.

Grumbling, the doctor pushed himself to his feet and crossed the room, trying to rub the sleep from his eyes as he wrenched open the door.

"Whaddya want?" He growled, squinting against the all-too-bright lights in the hall, trying to figure out who had gotten him out of the warmth of his bed. He blinked and looked down slightly, the idea of trying to sleep slipping away as he caught sight of exactly who stood in front of him. Kirk glanced up to meet Leonard's gaze, one arm wrapped around his stomach and the other holding a tissue to his bleeding nose.

"Hey Bones...Can I come in?" He asked softly, looking almost pleadingly at the older man. Leonard nodded dumbly, watching in confusion as Kirk shuffled in, fell back into Leonard's bed and closed his eyes with a low groan.

"'The hell happened to you kid?" Leonard asked, finally finding his voice as he crossed the room. In the weeks that he had known Kirk, he had never seen the kid get caught, never mind beat up like this. He was vaguely concerned about the small drops of blood Kirk was getting on his bed, but there were obviously more pressing matters. When the younger man didn't respond, Leonard sighed and walked back to the bed, grabbing the small first-aid kit he kept in case of emergencies. He commanded the lights up as he walked back to Kirk, his eyes already scanning the younger man's injuries. He neglected to grab his shirt again, sitting down next to Kirk and putting a hand on the man's shoulder.

"Kid, I can't help you if you go all mute on me." Kirk snorted and opened his eyes, forcing himself to sit up.

"Funny, I thought you liked me quiet."

"Cute kid, cute. Now start talking or I ain't helping you." Leonard frowned, setting the kit down beside him and rummaging through it. Kirk watched him curiously for a moment before shaking his head and looking up with a small hum.

"Got jumped and kicked out of my dorm." He replied with a small shrug, sending a jolting pain through his shoulder. The younger man gritted his teeth and muttered a soft curse, tipping his head back and taking several deep breaths.

"Wait...What?" Leonard frowned, his hands freezing. Kirk rocked his head slightly, giving the older man a look that said _"You heard me_." Clearing his throat, Leonard nodded and pulled his hands from the box, placing one on the top of Jim's shoulder and his other on the side. "And how'd you manage that?" He asked, feeling around for a moment to make sure the joint hadn't been dislocated in whatever fight the younger man had been in.

"People got pissed off so they ah...Teamed up with my former roommate and tossed me out. Though...Maybe tossed isn't the right word to use." Leonard couldn't help himself but chuckle, dropping his hands once he was satisfied that nothing had been dislocated.

"Serves you right in my opinion." He shrugged, pulling some gauze from the pack and gingerly moving Kirk's hand out of the way of his nose, checking to make it wasn't broken and that the bleeding had stopped. The two fell into silence, Kirk having nothing to say, and Leonard not wanting to say anything. The doctor finished patching Kirk up, nodding contently. As he pushed himself to his feet and began cleaning up, Kirk stood and began making his way to the door.

"Where you goin' kid?"

"To find somewhere to sleep." Kirk replied without turning. Leonard watched him leave the room and turn down the hall, frowning slightly. Before the door had the chance to close, the older man jogged over and pulled it open, leaning out into the hall.

"Hey, Kirk!" He called after him. The younger man paused, poking his head out from around the corner he had just turned. "Get back here." Frowning in confusion, Kirk made his way back to the room, shifting from foot to foot as he stood outside the door. Leonard shook his head with a sigh and stepped aside, allowing Kirk into the room. "I'll send for a second bed in the morning. You're stuck on the floor tonight."

Kirk stood silently, frowning up at Leonard as his mind visibly worked to try and figure out what had happened. There were several moments of silence, confused blue eyes looking up to meet amused brown. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Kirk spoke again.

"Wait...What?"


	4. WAnt

There was nothing else in the world that Jim wanted more than to be normal.

He had been born in space, seconds after his father was killed saving hundreds of lives. After that, he had lived alone with a distant mother, who couldn't look at him without tearing up and hurrying from the room. And when she got re-married, Kirk had spent years under the tyrannical reign of an abusive step-father. After being shipped off to Tarsus IV, life simply went downhill for the young man. The fungal plague, the "cleansing" of the people who lived there, barely escaping with his life...so far, Kirk's entire existence had been hell.

When he had moved back with his mother, things had seemed to settle down. The step-father was gone, and his mother could actually speak with him, though she wasn't able to talk for long. He couldn't blame her really. Ever since the "cleansing", he hadn't been the same person. Kirk was getting used to life, but things were still wrong. Everything felt so...confined. There were times when Kirk found he couldn't breathe, and it wasn't because of his allergies. He was trapped in this life, and there was very little he could do to fix it. And that's when he got the wonderful idea to run away, but not to another planet. He didn't know exactly how he ended up at that bar, or in that fight, or speaking to a man named Pike. The next few hours were a blur, arguing with himself in a rundown motel room, and downing drinks to work up his courage. Finally, he signed up. And everything felt right. The next morning he found himself registering for the Academy, and a few hours after that sitting next to a man. A man who turned out to be terrified of space, and an excellent doctor.

"Kid...kid, you alright?" Kirk blinked out of his thoughts, looking up from the PADD he had been staring at blankly. Bones, as the younger man had taken to calling him, was looking over from his own PADD with a worried frown. Kirk cleared his throat and nodded, sitting up and running his hands through his hair.

"Yeah Bones, m'alright." He lied, shooting over a winning smile as he tried to gather his thoughts back together and try to remember exactly what he was supposed to be working on. His roommate didn't buy it and stood up, stretching for a moment before walking over to settle on the edge of Kirk's bed. The two had been rooming together for a few weeks now, and Bones was used to seeing Jim slip off into his thoughts. But something seemed quite odd about this time.

"You're lying kid. Tell me." He pressed, watching as Kirk pushed himself up with a low groan and strolled across the room, shaking his head.

"Naw Bones, I'm alright. Really." The younger man insisted, rubbing his arm distantly as he looked around the bare walls of the room. Before Bones had a chance to speak, Kirk spoke up again. "Ya know, we should really start decorating." He stared at one of the walls, completely oblivious to the annoyed looked his was getting.

"Of course, because what we need is more crap in here."

"Oh come on, Bones! It isn't that bad!"

"_That bad_? Kid, I'm pretty sure there's something growing under your bed." Kirk huffed and rolled his eyes as Bones pulled his legs up onto the bed, hugging his knees to his chest, inviting Kirk to inspect the underside of the bed for himself. Kirk smiled brightly and shook his head, walking over and ducking under the bed.

"Nope, clear as can...Wait, what the hell is that?" He shrieked, recoiling back in mock horror. He glanced up in time to see Bones shift further onto the bed, pressing his back against the wall with wide eyes. It took a moment before he realized what had happened and glared down at Kirk.

The blond laughed brightly, rolling onto his back and wrapping his arms around his stomach. "You should have seen your face!" He grinned childishly, sitting up and catching his breath. Bones continued to glare down at him with a look of complete and utter un-amusement, shaking his head and pushing himself to his feet.

"You're lucky I sort of like you kid." He grumbled, ruffling Kirk's hair as he went by. The young man blinked, tilting his head up to watch as Bones walked back to his own bed and scooped up his PADD. Kirk remained on the floor for a minute more before scrambling up and frowning.

"What was that?"

"I said _'You're lucky I sort of like you kid'_. Why?" Bones replied, not even looking up from the text he was reading. Kirk blinked, opening his mouth to speak before slowly closing it again, trying to fight back the grin that threatened to creep onto his face.

"No reason, just didn't hear you." In truth, Kirk had heard him. Quite clearly in fact, but he just wanted to hear it again. That had been the first time he had heard those words, where they were actually meant. Sure, his mother had said them, but he knew it was only because he was her son, and that's what mothers did. Girls over the years had said it, but it was mostly the heat of the moment talking. Never before in his life had Kirk heard someone say that they liked him, even if it was only sort of. And knowing that someone had said it—while sober—and meant it, made him feel just a little less like a freak.


	5. Name

"What was her name?"

Bones paused, his foot hovering halfway through the door. Jim, as the doctor had finally taken to calling him, was laying sprawled on his bed, holding up a picture of a grinning little girl who was clinging tightly to an equally happy McCoy Jim pointed to the girl, eyes still on his roommate. "What was her name?" He asked again.

Bones shook himself out of his thoughts and numbly crossed the room, snatching the picture away and holding it up to the light. Jim grumbled something in protest, but one look at Bones' face and he fell silent, sitting up properly and waiting patiently for an answer. He'd never seen that expression on the doctor before. Sure, he'd seen anger, disappointment and every now and again a smile, but this? Complete and utter devastation. The life in the doctors eyes had completely vanished, leaving a look of longing and emptiness. "Joanna." Bones finally replied, sinking down onto the bed. He set the picture down on the pillow and raked his hands through his hair. "Her name is Joanna."

Jim nodded, frowning slightly at the doctor's sudden change in composure. The usually straight backed, stone-faced man had deflated at the sight of the picture. His shoulders were hunched and his head bowed, fingers still tangled in his hair. "Who was...is, she?" Jim asked almost hesitantly, not daring to raise his voice much louder than a whisper.

Once again, Bones was completely silent, his eyes straying to look over the picture. He hadn't told Jim about Joanna, only about Jocelyn. With the wounds still too fresh, he wasn't sure he even wanted to tell Jim about her. But now that the picture had been discovered - the one reminder Bones had of his daughter apart from the occasional phone call and visit - Bones couldn't find another option. He sighed again and picked up the picture, holding it carefully in his hands, as though it would shatter at any moment.

"Joanna is..._was_, my daughter." He expected rapid-fire questions from Jim, but the younger man stayed silent, absorbing this information with a small nod.

"Was?"

"Jocelyn got her in the divorce. There was no way to win. She'd already taken my money, and the family lawyer. I was stuck with some scum-bag who didn't know jack shit about child custody. I fought, but - there was no way to win her back. Then her mother began telling those damn lies, and now all I've got left is this damn picture." Bones waved the picture about, then simply let it flutter to the ground. Jim had listened in silence, watching the picture with a tilted head.

As Bones stood up to get himself something to drink, Jim leaned down and picked up the picture, taking a closer look at the girl. Joanna had lighter hair than her father, but the same eyes and nose.

"She's your daughter though Bones, isn't it a rule that a kids supposed to love their parents?" Jim asked over his shoulder, thankful Bones didn't yet know about his own horrible past. The doctor looked over his shoulder from pouring himself a drink, chuckling softly.

"She did, for a while. Her mother and I didn't split until she was seven. It was after the divorce that things got sour." He paused to take a sip of whatever he had grabbed, setting the glass down with a heavy sigh. Jim looked up at him with wide eyes, waiting for him to go on. Bones returned the look and managed a weak, almost bitter smile. "But, it doesn't really matter. Things are starting to get better. Slowly but surely, but they are getting better."

Jim opened his mouth to speak, to press more on the issue, but one look from Bones shut him up. The young man decided instead to focus on the picture, trying to memorize just how happy Bones looked.

_Joanna. _

That didn't seem like the name of a daughter who would stay away from her father forever. And Jim highly doubted she would. If Bones was right, there would be a time when father and daughter could meet up without old bitterness, and be able to reconnect the way a child and parent should.


	6. Age

"You can't keep getting into fights like this Jim. Dammit, I may be a doctor, but I'm not your personal nurse."

Jim was sitting on the edge of his bed, shirt lying discarded on the ground. Bones was sitting next to him, tending to a rather large scrape that ran the length of the younger man's forearm. This wouldn't have been the first time Jim had come back beaten and bruised in the middle of the night. Usually he'd wake Bones up and sit on the edge of the bed, doing whatever the older man told him to do without question. However, after coming back in a worse condition than usual, Bones hadn't been able to keep himself from asking what had happened.

Jim had been very vague on the details, like always. Through pain-clenched teeth and occasional whines, Kirk had finally admitted that he had been on a stroll when he came upon a few older cadets beating a much younger student. Two of the older cadets had hoisted the boy up by his ankles and were had been holding him above the ground when Jim had arrived and pounced on them. They had dropped the younger boy, who had then promptly bolted off, and Jim had been left on his own to fight off the older students. According to him, he would have been fine if one of them hadn't dislocated the shoulder that Bones was currently trying to put back into place.

Bones sighed softly as he finally managed to pop the joint back into place. Whatever Jim was going to say died off with a low string of curses, one hand flying to cup the repaired joint. Bones shook his head and moved away, pouring out a small glass of whiskey and offering it to Jim. This also had become one of their customs. Bones would offer the drink; Jim would take it without comment. Bones knew that despite whatever protests the younger man had originally made, the drink actually helped to dull the pain and calm his frazzled nerves. After taking a sip of the liquid and wrinkling his nose at the taste, Jim rested the bottom of his glass on his knee and looked over to Bones.

"You're the one who decided to let me stay." He shrugged, flinching as the gesture sent a flash of pain through his still sore shoulder. Bones snorted and leaned back against the wall, folding his arms over his chest.

"You're the one who showed up at my door looking like a beaten puppy." Jim was unable to keep back his smile, though the expression quickly fell once he realized just how upset Bones looked. Jim tilted his head slightly, frowning as he tried to think what could be bothering the doctor.

"Does it really bother you?"

"Does what really bother me?"

"Me and my fighting."

"I ain't your mother Jim. It ain't my job to worry about you." Bones replied with a simple shrug, stretching his arms over his head with a soft groan. Jim was silent, ducking his head in an attempt to hide the pain that flashed through his eyes. He couldn't blame Bones for saying what he did. The doctor didn't know anything about Jim's past, only that it had been complete and utter shit. After a moment, the blond lifted his head and shot Bones a charming smile, hoping that it hid his momentary weakness.

"You're old enough to be." He hummed innocently. Bones blinked and frowned, tilting his head before Jim's words sunk in and he rolled his eyes.

"I am not. Just how old do you think I am?"

"Oh, at least sixty."

Bones blinked and snorted, rolling his eyes as he pushed off the wall.

"Sixty? Christ kid, that's a little high."

"Fifty-nine?"

"Thirty-three."

Jim blinked and tilted his head. "Seriously? You're like..." He paused, counting down on his fingers for a moment before nodding to himself. "Six years older than me." Bones rolled his eyes again and nodded, settling down onto his bed and slipping under the covers.

"So there's no way I could possibly be your mother." The doctor mumbled, his voice muffled by the fabric. Jim watched him for a few more minutes before smirking again.

"You're also a man."

Bones was silent for several minutes before speaking again.

"Shut up and go to sleep."

"Yes mum."


	7. Date

Jim had been on many dates before and during his time at the Academy. Though, perhaps "dates" isn't the proper term for it. Getting drunk and then going back to someone's apartment to have sex, before sneaking out in the early morning wasn't really a date. Jim's dates were nothing at all like in the movies, where a couple would go out for a nice romantic, candle-lit dinner and then simply curl up and cuddle on a couch.

Jim Kirk wasn't one to just _cuddle_.

It was just after exams when Bones had invited Jim out for a drink in an off-campus pub. Jim had been hesitant to accept, not entirely sure what had made Bones ask him of all people. Maybe because it was the doctor wasn't exactly close with many other people. Sure, there were some other people he spoke to, but none knew the man as well as Jim did. Maybe that's why Jim found himself sitting at the bar beside Bones, holding a bottle of beer in his hands. Someone had to make sure the old man didn't drink too much, right?

"How do you think you did?" He asked suddenly, resting against the bar with a tilted head. Bones glanced up from his drink long enough to shrug before looking down again.

"Couldn't tell ya to save my life. Autopsies are difficult, especially when the people died from things that shouldn't even exist, never mind be common in space."

Jim laughed, having almost completely forgotten that Bones was a hypochondriac, and a large one at that. The doctor glared at him as he finished his giggling, shaking his head with a low muttering. Jim apologized quickly and gestured for the man to continue, leaning against the bar with a look of over-exaggerated interest. Bones sighed and took a sip from his own bottle to try and jog his thoughts before continuing.

"I mean, it could seem like a common cold. Then two days later you're collapsed in a hallway choking on your own blood, completely unable to move or call for help." Jim wrinkled his nose slightly at the image, but knew exactly what Bones had been talking about. All cadets had to learn the basics of diseases so that they knew what to look for—and when to panic.

"So that's what you had?" He asked, shaking himself free of the rather grotesque images of puddles of blood and stiff bodies.

"I wish." Bones snorted, brushing a hand through his hair and letting out a heavy sigh. "Looked like natural causes. Then, ya cut into the body and the person's insides explode over your face." Even at the mention of what had happened, Bones had gone white and was looking unsteady in his seat. Jim reached over and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder with a smirk.

"Hey, come on Bones...no throwing up. You aren't even drunk yet." Despite the slight condescending tone Jim had used, Bones chuckled and nodded. After giving the doctor a moment to recover, Jim leaned back and lifted the bottle to his lips. "So, you were saying?"

And so it went on, each of the men trying to outdo the other with horror stories from their exams. Bones won—of course—but neither were really keeping track of how many people had thrown up or passed out. By the end of the night, Jim had had several bottles of beer and one or two shots that had helped him through Bones' descriptions of several of the bodies he had gone through during his diagnosis and autopsies. The pair stumbled out into the street, Jim leaning heavily against Bones' shoulder and grinning like a child. The younger man was clearly unable to hold his alcohol as well as the Southern man holding him up. They slowly began to make their way back to the campus, Bones almost having to carry Jim up the set of stairs that led to the courtyard outside of their dorm.

"Ya know Bonesy..." Jim started once they entered their room, his words slightly slurred from the effects of the alcohol. "You're not that bad of a person."

"I was bad to begin with?" Bones asked with a puzzled frown. Jim chuckled and nodded, looking up with a smile.

"You're always so...grumpy. 'n angry."

"Astute observation Jim."

"But you're actually pretty nice...when you don't have a stick up your ass." Jim punctuated his last word with a poke to the center of Bones' chest. The doctor huffed and shook his head, maneuvering Jim to the bed. As he tipped the younger man over, Jim threw his arms around his neck and pulled Bones down with him. They landed in a slightly tangled heap, Bones wiggling to get free amidst Jim's hysterical laughter.

"Get yer damn drunken mitts off me!" Bones snapped, finally going limp as Jim's grip tightened. The younger man quickly shook his head, grinning brightly up at the doctor.

"But you're warm." He hummed, squirming until they were lying side by side. Once they were settled, Jim curled against Bones' chest, slim fingers gripping the man's red uniform. Bones peered down to him with a look of anger, confusion, and fondness rolled into one. As he opened his mouth to speak, Jim snored softly, his face pressed into the middle of Bones' chest. Bones finally sighed and gave in, draping one arm over the sleeping man's shoulders, dreading the moment he woke up.

But for now, this was surprisingly nice.


	8. Jealousy

Bones knew Jim was a hound-dog, always chasing after women even if none of them stuck around for more than a night. While walking to or from classes, the younger man would usually race off if one of the other female cadets caught his attention. This, of course would leave Bones stranded in the middle of the courtyard, talking to himself for a few steps before he even realized Jim was gone. But never before had Jim come back to their dorm with a guest. Usually just the story of whatever had happened and a brief suggestion of "_Maybe you should try it. It's relaxing_." Bones would shoot him down, and Jim would move on without question.

So, the last place Bones expected to find Jim in the middle of doing...whatever the hell he did, was in their dorm. However, after a long day of finding out whether or not they were fit enough to stay in the academy, Bones had walked in to find Jim on top of a smaller woman with light blue skin. The woman, as if on cue, shrieked and pulled the covers up to cover herself, while Jim peered curiously over his shoulder.

"You could have knocked." The blond huffed, rolling his eyes. Bones turned away and shielded his eyes with his arm, unable to keep the blush from covering his cheeks.

"You could have put a damn sock on the door or something!" He snapped in response, stumbling back and reaching for the handle. Jim smirked and leaned down to whisper something in the woman's ear. She shook her head and hissed at him, silvery-grey eyes narrowing into slits. Jim ignored whatever she muttered back and turned around to look at Bones.

"While you're here, why not join us?"

Bones froze in place, his jaw dropping in shock. The woman leaned up and whacked the back of Jim's head, the crack breaking the doctor out of his trance. He didn't respond to Jim's question and slipped out of the room, slamming the door behind him. He could hear Jim's roaring laughter behind him and the woman's hissing snaps as he slid down the opposite wall. He could spend another hour or so outside...it couldn't be that bad, as long as they didn't get loud.

After almost an hour of lounging out against the wall across from their dorm, the door opened and the woman slid out. Bones glanced up from his PADD, tilting his head slightly at her. She looked down to him and hissed, a forked tongue slipping past her lips and teeth before she turned her nose up and stalked off down the hall. Bones sighed heavily and forced himself up to his feet, cracking his back with a low whine. He crossed the hall and walked in, knocking almost as an afterthought.

"You finally done?" He grumbled, looking to the lump of sheets that must of have been Jim. He was proven right when the blond head popped out from the sheets with a crooked grin.

"It wasn't that long..." He mumbled, stretching out with a low groan. Bones turned away as Jim stood and began hunting around for his uniform, brushing both hands through his hair.

"It was almost an hour Jim." Bones said, somewhat bitterly. He turned only once he heard the final brushing of fabric, finding Jim lounging against the wall with a smirk.

"Aw, is Bones jealous?" He purred, blue eyes twinkling slyly. Bones snorted and turned away, shaking his head as he walked to fall into his own bed. He realized with some surprise that Jim's antics hadn't spilled over onto the other bed in the room, and was thankful that his own sheets were completely undisturbed.

"Jealous of you? Never. Least I won't get whatever space diseases you do."

"True, but it'll be your job to fix me." Jim pointed out with a smirk. Bones only huffed and pulled his covers up over his head. The room fell into an oddly comfortable silence for several moments, broken only when Jim spoke up again. "You may not have been jealous, but Kadie sure was." Bones blinked and poked up his head out from under the covers, frowning slightly.

"What?"

"Kadie...the girl?" Jim frowned, sitting on the edge of his bed with a small smirk, "She sure was. Or maybe it was offended. It's kinda hard to tell with her." Bones had now propped himself up onto his elbows and was looking to Jim with a tilted head.

"Alright, why?" He asked, almost dreading the answer. Jim shrugged innocently and crossed his legs.

"Cuz I invited you to join us. Jealous because she thinks I like you better - which I don't mind you - and offended because I even asked. Not sure how she feels about it."

Bones looked at him blankly for several moments before simply nodding and rolling over again. Jim sat on the edge of his bed, waiting for a few minutes for a response. When he realized one wouldn't come, he sighed and lay back down. He couldn't explain why he had even asked Bones; maybe it had just been the moment talking. Now that he thought more on it though, maybe it wasn't. Sure Kadie had been nice and all but, things just hadn't been the same between him and women recently. Any woman for that matter. He'd have to talk to Bones about it sometime.

* * *

_A/N: I'm so sorry about the terrible ending, but I really couldn't think of anything else for it. I promise the rest of them will actually be decent enough for this. And I really hope you guys are enjoying the daily posts. I don't think that this'll continue for much longer, so enjoy it while you can._


	9. Anger

Despite their two totally different personalities, Jim and Bones almost never fought. They would have the occasional spat, but nothing escalated past the two of them calling each other less than flattering names. Things had never gotten physical, or even remotely violent. Jim may have throwna haphazard punch when dazed after another fight, but it would either miss completely, or wouldn't hurt at all.

It was after yet another one of Jim's failed attempts to pick up another student's girlfriend when Bones completely lost it.

"For God's sake Jim, you can't keep doing this!" The doctor snapped once the younger man showed up at their door sporting a lovely black eye.

"Why not? It's not you who's getting hurt Bones." Jim growled in response, clearly not in the mood to deal with another one of Bones' mother-hen hissy fits. The doctor didn't seem to notice - or if he did - he didn't care. He crossed the room and grabbed Jim's arm, tugging the man back a step.

"I may not be the one getting hurt, but I have to deal with your sorry ass every single time."

Jim wrenched his arm free and glared back at Bones, hands clenching at his sides. He opened his mouth to speak, paused, and closed it again, turning away with a shake of the head. Bones once again grabbed for him, keeping his grip tight around Jim's wrist.

"What? You were going to say something, so spit it out." He hissed. Jim glanced back to him through narrowed eyes.

"You want to hear what I have to say? Fine then; I don't like getting beat up any more than you like patching me up, but it's who I am and it's what I do. If you don't like it, why don't you just ship me off like everyone else has? It seemed to work just fine for them…" The younger student hissed, jerking away again and wrapping his arms around himself.

Bones stood stunned, tilting his head slightly. He watched Jim slink off into the washroom and slam the door behind him, leaving the doctor standing alone in the now eerily silent dorm. Heturned to go to his bed, but hesitated and looked back at the washroom door.

Before he knew what he was doing, he had crossed back and knocked at the door. Not to his surprise, there was no answer. Another knock, and he heard a soft grumbling. One more and all of a sudden the door was flung open, revealing a very annoyed Jim.

"What the hell do you want, Bones?" The younger man snapped, hands braced against the door frame to keep himself from falling out. Bones stepped back quickly, holding his hands up defensively.

"Just making sure you're alright."

"I thought you weren't my doctor."

"I'm not. But I'm your friend. So whenever you aren't hurt, I'm still allowed to worry."

Jim blinked and tilted his head slightly, frowning up at Bones. There were several tense moments of silence before the young man sighed heavily and looked down.

"Sure Bones, whatever you say."He muttered, shoving past Bones and heading for his bed. The doctor made another move to grab the man's shoulder. "For Christ's sake Bones, leave me alone!" Jim snapped, turning around and shoving the doctor back. Bones stumbled a step and hit the wall, closing his eyes for a moment. Jim looked blankly at him for a moment before shaking his head and turning away. "Just...leave me alone."

Jim knew he shouldn't take out his pent up anger on Bones - after all, the man was just trying to help - but he was the only person around. Usually Jim would have had someone to fight, or at least a woman to distract him. But not tonight. Tonight he was alone with his thoughts, his anger, and of course, Bones.

* * *

_A/N: So sorry it took so long to get this one out. School work picked up like you wouldn't believe and I got buried under several dozen projects. Countless migraines, late nights, and one panic attack later, I've finally gotten out of that hole. Hopefully I should be back to getting out a couple chapters a week...Hopefully._


	10. Mine

Bones never thought that he'd think of Jim in such a way.

Sure, the kid was a pain in the ass at most times, but there were other instances when he was one of the sweetest kids he'd ever met. He'd grown rather fond and just slightly overly-protective of the kid. So when he came across a group of much older cadets ganging up on Jim, he snapped.

"The hell is going on here?" He demanded, stalking up to the group. Jim barely had the energy to lift his head, one eye swollen shut and blood dripping from his nose. The three cadets holding him up turned, barely paying Bones a glance before turning back to Jim.

"None of your business old man." One of them replied, getting ready to throw another punch to Jim's stomach. Just as the blond flinched, Bones moved forward and grabbed the cadet's arm and twisted it back, growling softly.

"I asked you a question." He said slowly, twisting the arm more and nearly forcing the cadet to his knees. "And I expect an answer." The other cadets had turned away from Jim, still pinning him, but paying him no attention. The cadet on his knees twisted and tried to wiggle free before a final twist from Bones sent him limp.

"The little shit started it." The man growled, looking down at the ground. Bones rolled his eyes and glanced over to Jim, who only managed a weak smile before letting his head drop again.

"That _little shit_ happens to be my roommate, and I don't appreciate you beating him up like this. Even if he did start it." Bones planted his boot in the small of the other cadet's back and sent him sprawling forward. The other two seemed ready to pounce at the doctor, turning away and letting Jim slump to the ground. Bones lifted his hands, ready to fight off the two other cadets. But he never got the chance. Next thing he knew, the whole Academy seemed to get out of their classes and were milling about. Not wanting to create a scene, the two standing cadets helped their friend up and vanished into the crowd.

Bones watched them go before hurrying over to Jim's side and kneeling beside him. "Kid? Hey kid...Jim, you alright?" He asked, resting a light hand on the younger man's shoulder. Jim mumbled something incomprehensible and managed to lift his head. Bones waited a moment for him to clarify before shaking his head.

"Right, 'least you can hear me." He muttered, looking around. No one seemed to notice the pair, all looking up or absorbed in their work. Bones grumbled to himself and bent down, hooking one of Jim's arms around his shoulder and pulling the younger man up.

Jim hung limply against him, closing his eyes with a soft groan. Bones tried to drag him down to the infirmary, knowing that he shouldn't be looking after something this severe by himself, even if he was a doctor. After a few feet, the doctor simply gave up and scooped Jim into his arms, holding the smaller man bridal style and walking calmly through the crowd of now staring people.

Eventually Bones managed to shove the door to the infirmary open and set Jim down on a bench for a moment, resting his arms before scooping him up again. Without pausing, he strolled into one of the exam rooms and gently set the now semi-conscious Jim down on the gurney. One of the nurses looked up, tilting her head slightly before hurrying over and beginning to work on patching him up. Bones tried to help, but the nurse wouldn't let him anywhere near the younger man Bones kept back, arms crossed over his chest as he watched the young woman fumbling with a roll of gauze. Finally she finished and stepped away, mumbling something about paper work she needed to fill out.

"Bones...?" Jim asked softly, his eyes fluttering open.

"How you feeling kid?" Bones smiled, walking over and kneeling beside the gurney, lightly brushing a strand of hair off of the younger man's forehead. Jim smiled weakly and shrugged as much as he could.

"Better than ever." He replied somewhat sarcastically, trying to sit up. Bones quickly shook his head and placed a firm hand to the middle of Jim's chest and pushed him down. Jim struggled for only a moment before falling limp and closing his eyes. "Maybe just a little stiff." Bones chuckled and leaned back, shaking his head. The two fell into a comfortable silence for several moments before Jim turned and frowned.

"Say...what the hell are you doing here anyway?" This question took Bones by surprise, and it took him a moment to respond.

"I'm making sure you're alright."

"But why? My problems aren't yours."

"Actually kid, they are. They became my problems the second you decided it was a good idea to come bother me and move in."

Jim smiled gently and nodded, closing his eyes after a brief moment. "So you're saying that all my problems become - "

"Mine. Not all of them though. If you've got an army of angry women after you, you're on your own."

"Just when I'd need you most and you abandon me? You're an ass, Bones."

"Shut up Jim, you don't mean that."

A moment of silence fell over the two, both expecting the other to break it first. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Jim spoke.

"You're right...I don't."


End file.
